Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

No-one wishes to open their machine and discover standing water but, try not to overreact just yet. You may have the means to solve the fault before you have to call a repair person or invest in a brand-new dishwasher.

Your machine refusing to drain may have any number of of causes some of which are straightforward to fix. Therefore, before you call a dishwasher repair service here is a selection of possible things you may troubleshoot yourself. A proportion of which are not even related to the machine itself.

Check the cycle wasn’t stopped mid-way

If you’re fortunate the standing water you have discovered may not be a problem at all. Rather, the cycle may have been stopped mid-way.

The cycle might have been stopped mid-way for multiple of reasons. Little fingers pushing buttons, inadvertently pushing on the buttons, a power cut or opening the machine mid-program could all stop the cycle from completing and mean your machine doesn’t drain.

If you suspect this may be the situation, or you feel it may be a good idea to check run the machine again on a short cycle.

A few machines might have an empty program so it’s worthwhile consulting your instructions or checking online to check.

Inspect the disposal

If you have a disposal examine this before you move on as an obstructed disposal will stop the dishwasher from emptying. Run the garbage disposal using lots of water to ensure there are no issues.

If you do discover an obstruction drain unclogger or a natural alternative may be employed to remove the obstruction and so this may deal with the fault.

Inspect the sink for issues

If you sink is emptying slowly this could indicate an issue with the plumbing rather than an issue with your machine.

In the case that the sink is draining inefficiently you can attempt putting some bicarbonate of soda and vinegar down the drain, leaving it for a while and then washing it away with boiling water.

A plunger might also be used to attempt to remove the blockage.

This could be all you need to do to permit the appliance to drain so run a quick rinse and empty cycle to check. If not you can manually remove the standing water using a bowl as well as a towel and have a look at a few more possible issues.

Make certain to unplug the machine to stay safe.

If in the process of any one of these investigations you suspect you have found and repaired the error there is no need to continue to the next step. Just run an empty cycle to ensure the machine is fixed.

Check and scrub the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, labels from tupperware, plastic covers and smashed glass. Clear glass may also be difficult to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

Take out the filter then wash it thoroughly before putting it back in place. Not all machines have their filter in the same location so you might need to consult the owners manual for this.

Is the waste pipe obstructed?

The next area to check is the waste water pipe. Many things could cause a blockage including a build up of food debris, a kink in the hose, or a crushed hose. All of which can all stop your machine from draining.

Subject to the location of the waste hose (usually the corrugated one) you might be able to look at it by taking off the kick board or you might need to move the machine out from the wall.

Visually inspect the pipe in the first instance to discover if it has been crushed or kinked. You might manage manually remove any kinks which is likely to solve the issue, but be aware that when this has occurred it is much more inclined to happen again so you could wish to order a new hose.

If you are unable to find an issue you could disconnect the waste water hose from the machine and blow into it to check for any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels first as even if you have emptied the dishwasher there could still be waste water in the pipe.

If you are unable to blow air through the waste pipe this might be the issue.

Remove the hose at the sink end and give it a thorough flush through to get rid of the obstruction. If you can’t dislodge the blockage or the waste pipe is split or worn acquire a brand-new one. If you could clear the blockage then put the hose back and start a short cycle to double check that you have repaired the error.

You can also check where the hose attaches to the waste disposal as well. This is a common spot for debris to build up so if you happen to remove the waste pipe give this connection a thorough clean as well.

Examine the drain valve

You may examine the drain valve by hand to make sure it hasn’t stopped working. The drain valve will often be located in the bottom of the machine on the valve bracket. Consult your instructions if you’re not sure.

Depressing the valve or wiggling it a bit will likely be enough to find out if it’s seized. If you are able to see anything blocking it remove this. If you are unable to, this might be the right time to get in touch with a repair person unless you are happy in ordering and replacing the component yourself.

Check your pump is not blocked

Your dishwasher pump uses impellers that may become obstructed by broken china or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t broken by removing the safety cover and making sure the impellers can rotate freely.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s on

If your dishwasher sounds unusual your dishwasher pump or motor may be broken and need to be repaired.

Call a plumber

If none of the above examinations has fixed the fault, or you think the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it might be the moment you need to call in the professionals.

At least having tried to investigate what is wrong you have prevented having to pay a hefty call-out fee for a blocked hose.